Laundry lady’s soap theme
The legendary launderette queen of Walford has been honoured in Ayrshire.
Fun- loving Audrey Coakley has named her new business Dot Cotton’s, after the soap queen of Albert Square.
The 58- year- old has replaced the opening credit images on EastEnders of London and the Thames with an aerial shot of Ayr and its river.
It features on her sign as well as Dot’s famous face and instead of BBC, she has AYR written in the same typeface.
But Audrey is not worried about a potential legal fight with old Dot or Auntie Beeb.
She said: “There are four other Dot Cotton launderettes in the UK and they are still running. My twin sister Linda and I have always been EastEnders fans, so I couldn’t think of a better tribute to Dot.”
June Brown, 90, has played the washerwoman since 1985 and is mum to the wastrel Nick “Hello Ma” Cotton.
Her launderette in Albert Square was owned by the mysterious Greek Mr Papadopolous.
Audrey opened the laundry at Tam’s Brig, Ayr earlier this month.
Audrey is also a professional under presser and top presser and trained at Leos in East Kilbride.
And she said: “The name is really getting us noticed.
“It is on a really busy route and we can see folk on buses looking in.
“I like a laugh, am a bit cheeky and I think customers can tell. But I can also be grumpy just like Dot Cotton.
“Since we started I am building up a regular trad trade and I am delighted I took on the property. I hope Dot Cotton would be proud.”
Unlike Dot, Audrey doesn’t have a fag sticking out her mouth.
But the widowed mum- of- four has a great sidekick in her Boxer dog Cupar, two. She said: “Cupar says hello to everyone who comes in and is happy in his new daytime home, getting heat from the boiler.
“I am a trained seamstress and was originally just going to manufacture items to order from the house. But when I saw this property for lease I thought it was fate and too good to miss.”
The premises – called The Ironing Shed under the previous owner – already had a powerful ironing vacuum system running direct from a boiler to get razor sharp creases.
And that’s something that old Dot would have loved to get her hands on.